Feeler mechanism for looms



July 24, 192s.

\ /Nl/ENTOR.

z shuts-sheet 2 A--r TQRNEY' E.-A. CUNNIFF FEHLER MECHANISM FOR LOOKS Flled June 24 1927 July 24, 1928.

Patented duly 2li, 192g.

@Titi S'ATES lgti'ZSSi PATENT GFFIQE.

EDWARD A. CUNLTEFF, GF VIA."TiLlrv,V MASSACHUSETTS, ASSlIChlOR` T DB-PERiCOR- PORATOT, 0F I'OPEDALE, MSSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATON OF MAINE.

FEELER MEGHANSM FOR LOOMS.

Application filed June 24, 1927. Serial No. 201,070.

This invention relates to filling replenishing looms and is more particularly directed to the ieeler mechanism employed in such looms to effect a change of filling prior to complete exhaustion of the iilling in the shuttle.

It is now the ordinary practice to provide lilling replenishing looms with a 'teeler mechanism for controlling the replenishment oi' filling in the shuttle, and since lilling or yarn that remains upon the filling carrier when it is discharged from the shuttle constitutes waste, it has been the constant eii'ort of those familiar with looms to devise some character ci feeler mechanism which shall be sufficiently sensitive both as to the presence and substantial absence of filling in the shuttle as to call for the change only when the fillingv has reached a degree of exhaustion such that the last piclt oi the shuttle will lay a iull length oi' iilling in the shed under proper tension.

Should the feeler mechanism call for a change of iilling when there still remains lsuflicient for a number of picks, the waste incident to such change becomes excessive; and, on the other hand, should the eeler mechanism fail to call for a change oiiiiling until the filling is completely exhausted, defective cloth will be woven, since no filling or only partial filling will be laid in the shed.

One oi the objects of the `present invention, therefore, is to provide apieeler mechanism for filling replenishing looms which shall be sensitive both to the presence and substantial absence oi' filling and to'call for a change only when suiiicient Filling remains in the shuttle to properly lay the last pick of iilling under proper tension.

lin accordance with the present invention,-

the eeler mechanism comprises a feeler oi the tilting or filling fork type .which is mounted to enter through the side of the shuttle on a detecting heat and to indicate by its tilting or non-tilting condition the amount `of filling still remaining in the shuttle, and such feeler is associated with a train of mechanism for calling a replenishment of filling when that in the shuttle has reached substantial exhaustion. l

The invention and new combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one goodv form thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of portions oi a loom at the eeler side thereof provided with the presentinvention; j

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing more particularly the ieeler mechanism and the relation oi' parts when a working supply of lilling is in the shuttle on a detecting beat; f

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional elevation showing the relation of parts when the iilling ils substantially exhausted on a detecting beat;

Fig. a is a plan view of the eeler and some ofits associated parts; and

Fig. 5 is a. detached detail showing more particularly the feeler actuating means to cause replenishment of filling when the filling in the shuttle is substantially exhausted.

rl'he iilling replenishing mechanism which is controlled by the present invention is not herein shown and described because the details thereof i'orm no essential part of the present invention and are now well understood by those familiar ywith filling replenishing looms.

The loom frame 1 may he oi usual construction and at the Jfront thereof is an arm 2 which rises from the usual transverse or rock shait which extends to the opposite side of the loom for controlling the opera-- tive condition of the replenishing mechanism. Pivotally mounted on the arm 2 at 3 is the actuator i to the rear end portion of which is pivoted at 5 a finger 6 which is adapted to loe engaged at times by the cam follower 7 The finger 6 is provided with a projecting portion 8 under which extends the arm 9 of the bell crank lever 10 pivotally mounted at 11 on the bracket arm 12 secured to the shipper stanchas usual. The bell crank lever has extending therefrom the pin 13 to which is connected thetransmitter 14 which is under the controlof the feeler mechanism presently to be described. A stop 15 is normally in engagement with the lowerl arm of the bell crankto limit its swinging movement' in one direction.

Mounted upon the shipper stand is the bracket 1G which is located back of the shipper sta-nd and secured in place by suitable adjusting bolt 17. If desired, in Some cases the arm 12 on which the bell cranl: lever 1() is mounted, may loe secured to the bracket 16, although this particular construction is not essential.'

:n fr..

Mounted in suitable bearings 18, 19, Figs. l and 5, formed on the bracket 1G, is the rock shaft 20, one end of which has secured thereto the arm 2l having a bifurcated end 22 which is engaged by a pin 23 extending` from the cam follower, with the result that the rock shaft 20 is given movement from the cam follower.

Loosely mounted upon the rock shaft 2O is a finger 2l which is normally under the Iinfluence. of a spring 25, one end of which at 2G is secured to the rock shaft, and the other end 27 of which is secured to the arm 24. To limit the action of the spring 25 upon the finger 2%.?. suitable stop is provided and, as indicated in Fig. 5, this may be constituted by a pin 2S carried on an arm 29 secured to the rock shaft 20, the

effect being that the finger 24 while movable with the rock shaft 20, is, nevertheless, yieldw ingly mounted for movement` in one direction, which in the present instance of the invention, permits the finger to come to rest when t-he end portion of the finger is moved frontwardly. rlhe finger 2lihas sew cured to its top portion an actuating member 30, the front end portion of which has a shoulder 3l which is adapted to engage the fronttail portion of the tilting feelcr should it fail to be tilted on a detecting beat, as will presently appear.

lilounted upon a suitable bracket 32 secured to a lateral projection from the shipper stand is the fceler stand 34 in which is mounted a feeler carrier 35 the frontwardly extending stem portion 36 of which is under the influence of a spring 37 interposed between the front all of the feeler stand and the shoulder 38 on the carrier, to normally hold the carrier in its rearward position.

@n the rear end portion of the carrier 35 the fee/ler is mounted, and, as shown, it is pivotaily supported upon the horizontal axis 39, so that the feeler l0 may have a tilting movement in a` vertical plane. Secured to and extending downwardly from the rear portion il of the feeler are the fines l2 of which there may be any appropriate number, three being shown in the present instance of the invention. To the front end portion of the tilted or weft fork feeler a. weight t3 is secured, as indicated more elearl in Fig. 2, and such weight normally acts to hold the feeler in the position indicated in Figs. l and 3; that is, in its untilted position, and the weight 43 may be conveniently provided with a recess fla adapted to be engaged by the shoulder 3l of the linger when the weft fork feeler fails to be tilted on a detecting beat. To prevent overthrow or overtilting movement of the tilting feeler, a guard or stop 45 extends over the top of the feeler above its horizontal pivotal support 39, whereby such stop may limit the swinging or tilting movement of the feeler in either direction.

ln accordance with the present invention, the 'tilting or weftl fork feeler is to enter through the side of the shuttle and present its lateral surfaceabove the ends of the tines for engagement with the filling and in order that. this may take place the front wall of the shuttle box is provided with a recess i6 and, similarly, the front wall i7 of the shuttle is provided with aV recess i8 whereby the tines of the vertical tilting feeler may pass into the shuttle on a detecting beat and present the lateral surface of the tine-s above the ends thereof for engagement with the mass of filling in the shuttle without injury to the filling. If at such time a. working supply of filling is present in the shuttle, as indicated in Fig. 2, the mass of fill ing i9 on the filling carrier 50 will engage the tines of the tilting feeler between the ends thereof, which for identificat-ion may be termed their lateral surface, and cause to be tilted in a vertical plane before the linger 24 is moved, or about at the time it is moved frontwardly, thereby lifting the front portion of the tilting feeler out of the path of the finger, so that the loom continues to run withoutreplenishinent of filling.

However, should the filling in the shuttle be substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, the` tines will fail to tilt the feeler in its vertical plane, as hercinbefore described, nf'hereupon the shoulder 3l of the finger will engage the feeler and move the feeler carrier frontwardly to initiate replenishment of filling.

he feeler carrier 35, as indicated in the present instance of the invention, is provided with a pin 5l which engages an arm 52 of a lever which is pivoted at 58 on a stand or bracketelwhich may be appropriately secured to the bracket 16 as by the bolt The other arm 5G of the lever, pivoted at 58, is extended backward, as indicated in Fig. l, and has secured thereto at 57 the end of the transmitter 14.

From the construction above described it will be apparent that the feeler is pivotally mounted upon the feeler lcarrier to tilt in a vertical plane about an axis that is above a horizontal plane passing` through the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, as more clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and t5, and that the tines which extend downwardlyr from the tilting feeler will enter the shuttle and feel for the mass of filling in the shuttle. Should a working supply of filling be present on a detecting beat, the tilting or weft fork feelerl will be tilted by frontward pressure against the lateral surface presented by the tines above their ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the loom will continue to run without replenishment, and since the tnes engage the filling along the lateral surface of the tines no injury to the filling results by the Contact pressure. Should the filling be substantially exhausted, however, on a detecting beat, the tines of the tilting feeler will not cause tilting movement of the Vfeeler in its vertical plane, as indicated in F ig. 3, whereupon the shoulder 3l of the finger will engage the feeler and move the feeler and feeler carrier frontwardly, with the result that through the train of mechanism comprising the transmitter and associated parts and including the arm 52, the finger G connected to the actuator l will be placed inoperative relation with the 'operating' member or cam follower 7 to thereby move the actuator frontwardly, turn the transverse or rock shaft and call for replenishment of filling.

'll he finger 24e with its shouldered portion 3l has its tail portion 30 extended rearward sufficiently far so that as the finger 24 moves frontward without engagement with the untilted feeler and as the lay goes back, the front end portion of the weight f3 of the tilting feeler will ride` uponV the tail 30 so that it will not be caught backward of the finger 2st.

rllhe feeler mounted to swing about an axis in ay vertical plane and at a point above the horizontal plane pas-sing through the longitudinal axis of the filling carrier, isy

sensitive both to the presence and absence of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat, so that a minimum amount of filling may be left upon the filling carrier in the shuttle when changeof filling is called. The lateral faces of the tines l2 which engage the filling will not act upon thesame with suicient force to inj ure even the most delicate filling, since the pressure which the filling exerts upon the tines serves merely to tilt the weft forli feeler and not to push the feeler carrier frontwardly.

in practice it is preferable to employ a' bunch on the hlling carrier in the shuttle, so that the tines of the tilting feeler may cooperate with the bunch and call for a change of filling when the bunch itself has been depleted to a predetermined amount. TWhile the coopera-tion of the tilting feeler and bunch presents some advantages in minimizing waste, it is clear, of course, that the feeler mechanism constituting the present invention may be employed in connection with fillingl carriers whereon there is no bunch.

llfhat is claimed is:

l. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

form a feeler receiving passage, a 'tilting weft fork feeler mounted on the feelercarrier to extend downwardly transversely of the shuttle and adapted to enter said feeler receiving passage to engage the mass of filly ing in the shuttle and to be tilted thereby on detecting beats until the filling is substantially exhausted, and means for moving the weft fork feeler and feeler carrier frontwardly when the weft fork feeler fails to be tilted on a detecting beat.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier' mounted for movement towards and from thefront of the loom, a tilting weft fork feeler mounted on the feeler carrier and having tines that enter through theV side of the shuttle to cause the lateral surface of the tines to en gage the massof filling in theshuttle and cause tilting movement of the weft fork feeler until the hlling is substantially eX- hausted, means for engaging the weft forlr effecting replenishment of filling when the weft fork feelerfails to be tilted by the filling within the shuttle on a detecting beat.

tqIn a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a tilting weft fork feeler mounted toenter through the sideV of the shuttle and having spaced rigidly connected tineswhich engage the mass of filling and cause tiltingmovement of the weft fork feeler until the filling is substantially eX- hausted, a rock shaft actuated from a going part of the loom, a finger mounted on the rock shaft and adapted to engage and move the weft fork feeler frontwardly 'when it fails to be tilted by a mass of filling within the shuttle on a detecting beat.

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier, a tilting weft fork feeler mounted on the carrier and having tines'to enter through the side of the shuttle and present their lateral surface for engagement with the mass of filling therein and cause the weft forlr feeler to be tilted on a detecting beat by a working supply of filling, means for engaging the weft fork feeler when it fails to be tilted by the mass of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat, and actuating devices for said means to cause the weft fork feelcr and feeler carrier to be moved frontwardly and effect `replenishment of filling.

6. In afeeler mechanism forV looms, the combination of the cam follower, a roel:

shaft actuated thereby, a feeler carrier mounted for movement towards and from the front of the loom, a feeler pivotally mounted on the carrier to swing in a vertical plane and having downwardly extending rigidly connected tines to enter through the side of the shuttle and engage the mass of filling therein to cause the feeler to be tilted in a vertical plane until the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat,

and a linger mounted on the rock shaft to engage the feeler and move it and the feeler carrier frontwardly when the tines fail to tilt the Jfeeler.

7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier mounted for movementtowards and fromthe front of the loom, a fecler pivotally mounted on the carrier to swing in a vertical plane and having tines which enter through the side of the shuttle to engage their lateral surface with the mass of filling in the shuttle and cause tilting movement of the feeler in the vertical'plane until the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, a linger for engaging and moving the feeler frontwardly when the tines fail to tilt the feeler, and means actuated by frontward movement of the feeler to effect replenishment of filling.

8. In a feelcr mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler carrier mounted for movement towards and from the front of the loom7 a :feeler pivotally mounted on the carrier to swing in a vertical plane and having tines which enter through the side of the shuttle to engage their lateral surface with the mass of lling in the shuttle and cause tilting movement of the feeler in the vertical plane until the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, means normally acting to hold the feeler from tilting move- Lec/3,537

9. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination of a shuttle having one of its side walls provided with an open slot extending downwardly from the upper edge of the side wall, a feeler carrier, a feeler pivotally mounted on the carrier to swing in a vertical plane about an axis above the horizontal plane passing through the longitudinal axis ofthe filling carrier in the shuttle and having downwardly extending rigidly connected tines to enter through the upwardly open slot of the shuttle and engage their lateral surface with the mass of filling` in the shuttle on a detecting beat to cause tilting movement of the feeler' until the filling is substantially exhausted, and means for engaging and moving the feeler frontwardly when the feeler fails to be tilted on a detecting beat.

l0. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane and having downwardly extending tines which enter through the side of the shuttle to engage their lateral surface above the ends of the tines with the mass of filling in the shuttle to cause tilting movement of the feeler in a vertical plane until the filling is substan tially exhausted on va detecting beat, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the tines fail to tilt the feeler in the vertical plane on a` detecting beat.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD A. oUNNirr. 

